Winston Churchill
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender! '' '''- Winston Churchill acknowledging France's surrender and German offer to sue for peace.' Who was Winston Churchill? Winston Churchill was one of the great world leaders of the 20th century. His leadership helped Britain to stand strong against Hitler and the Germans, even when they were the last country left fighting. He is also famous for his inspiring speeches and quotes. Winston also intervened in the Cold War as well, being on of the main countries against Communism during the Cold war. Childhood Winston was born November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England. He was actually born in a room in a palace named Blenheim Palace. His parents were wealthy aristocrats. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a politician who held many high offices in the British government. Winston Churchill was sent to France as a student in a boarding school, Winston mentioned he hated it there and didn't pay attention, he got into politics, religion and other things that shaped him into the person we know Winston Churchill as today. Military Churchill attended the Royal Military College and joined the British cavalry upon graduation. He was more than happy to do this. He traveled to many places while with the military and worked as a newspaper correspondent, writing stories about battles and being in the military. He wrote about his experience while in war in his books. While in South Africa during the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill was captured and became a Prisoner of War (POW.) He managed to escape from prison and traveled 300 miles to be rescued. As a result, he became a hero in Britain. However, Churchill would grow to popularity in Britain overtime. Parliament and Governing In 1900, Churchill was elected to Parliament. He was not yet the great leader we know him as today, while in office he did some minor things and slowly built up his profile. Over the next 30 years he would hold a number of different offices in the government including a cabinet post in 1908. His career had many ups and downs during this time, but he also became famous for many of his writings, including his unpublished book on aliens, which was found recently. Prime Minister At the outbreak of World War II, Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in command of the Royal Navy. At the same time the current Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, wanted to appease Germany and Hitler. Churchill knew this would not work and warned the government that they needed to help fight Hitler or Hitler would soon take over all of Europe. He formed the "allies" faction and invited France to it. As Germany continued to advance, the country lost confidence in Chamberlain. This gave Winston a chance to become a higher role and he quickly signed up for replacing Chamberlain. This was one of the turning points for the war and he may have even saved Britain from German invasion. Finally, Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill was chosen to be his successor as Prime Minister on May 10, 1940. World War II Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Germany invaded France and Britain was alone in Europe fighting Hitler, he still had some colonies, but against all odds, Churchill stood up and lead Britain with pride. Churchill inspired the country to keep fighting despite the bad times. He also helped to make an alliance of Allied Powers with the Soviet Union and the United States. Even though he did not like Joseph Stalin and the communists of the Soviet Union, he knew the Allies needed their help to fight Germany. With the Allies help, and Winston's leadership, the British were able to hold off Hitler. After a long and brutal war they were able to defeat Hitler and the Germans. After the War After the war, Churchill's party lost the election and he was no longer Prime Minister. He was still a major leader in the government, however. He was again elected Prime Minister in 1951. He served the country for many years and then retired. He died on January 24, 1965. Churchill was concerned about the Soviet Union and the Red Army. He felt they were just as dangerous as Hitler now that the Germans were defeated. He was right as soon after World War II ended, the Cold War between the Western nations of NATO (such as Britain, France, USA) and communist Soviet Union began, (see above.) Famous Quotes Winston Churchill was famous for his rousing speeches and quotes. Here are a few of his famous quotes: "You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war." "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." In his first speech as Prime Minister he said "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat." "We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!" "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Facts about Churchill * He wrote a number of historical books and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. * He was named an honorary citizen of the United States. * Churchill married Clementine Hozier in 1908. They had five children including four daughters and one son. * Winston did not do well in school as a child. He also had trouble getting into the Royal Military College. Although, once in, he finished near the top of his class. * He was not healthy during World War II. He had a heart attack in 1941 and pneumonia in 1943. Sources https://www.ducksters.com/ https://www.britannica.com/ Gallery Category:Allies Category:WW2 Category:United Kingdom Category:Europe